College class sponsored by the local taco joint

One University of Montana professor came up with a creative way to help alleviate the university’s funding woes: He sold advertising space in his U.S. history class.

The logo for El Diablo, a Missoula Mexican restaurant.

The Missoula Mexican restaurant El Diablo made a $250 donation to the school’s history department — essentially buying some face time with the history class’s 250 students. The restaurant’s logo was featured on the course syllabus, stickers handed out to students and a projector screen.

And El Diablo was mentioned in class by assistant professor Kyle Volk, the mastermind behind the fundraising effort.

Turns out, university administrators weren’t so keen on the idea, since it violates school policy.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that Volk isn’t promoting tacos in class anymore, but that doesn’t mean he’s not advertising:

When he opens up PowerPoint, he’s saying, “go Microsoft.” The computers in his class whisper, “I’m a Dell.”

“I’m not intentionally doing it,” (Volk) says, “but still.”

Volk said he was just trying a creative approach to solving a pretty serious problem, and he didn’t know he was breaking the rules. This is from the Missoulian:

Last June, the department ran out of paper and toner for the copying machine, Volk said. Professors had to ride out the rest of the semester without printing or making copies.

“We’re struggling for basic everyday needs,” he said, because of the rising cost of school supplies.

UM is especially vulnerable to funding problems because its main source of income is tuition and state funds, he said. “This school and schools like it are going to have to think about more creative ways to compete, and whether or not we like it, that’s going to mean more money.”

Volk said administrators should rethink their policies.

What would you think of seeing (just for example) Starbucks ads in a local college class? Or maybe a sign telling students that “four bucks is dumb?”